The present invention generally relates to an apparatus for deterring slippage of an object. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus which can be attached to the handle portion of an object, such as a cane, umbrella or the like, to prevent the object from slipping off a surface.
In the past, various devices have been implemented for holding an object, such as an umbrella or cane, in place on a planar surface. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,329,915 (McKenzie), an attachment is disclosed which may be temporarily or permanently affixed to the handle of an umbrella for engaging the upper surface of a table or other support when the umbrella is being supported by its handle on the table or other support. The attachment is intended to hold the umbrella in place on the support surface without injuring the umbrella or the surface.
Such a holding device could be used to keep the object within the convenient reach of its user. This feature is especially important to, for example, a partially disabled user of a cane. Such a person would likely have difficulty reaching to the ground to lift a cane which has fallen over or slipped off a table top. An effort to reach for the cane could cause the already compromised cane user to lose balance, and incur serious physical injury.
One drawback of the known devices is that they must be specially manufactured for the particular object to which they are attached. Accordingly, the usefulness of such known devices is limited. That is, because additional manufacturing expenses are associated with the production of a wide variety of device sizes and shapes to accommodate a variety of object shapes, the manufacture of these useful devices is commercially impractical.
Thus, a need exists for an anti-slip apparatus which would be inexpensive to manufacture and which would be universally applicable to the handle end of objects such as canes, umbrellas and the like for preventing slippage of the objects off planar surfaces such as table tops.